Proposal for entry points on Panipat elevated expressway gets approval

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, December 19

The much awaited demand of residents to make entry and exit points at three places on the 10-kilometer long elevated expressway crossing has got approval. The district administration claimed that with the openings on the elevated highway, the problem of traffic jam and pollution would be resolved.

Three passages to ease traffic congestion

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There will be entry near Khadi Gramodyog and exit near Hanu sweets on the Delhi-Karnal side while the exit will be near the Malik petrol pump on the Karnal-Delhi side. Sushil Kumar Sarwan, DC , Panipat

The handloom city, Panipat, is located on both sides of the national highway-44 (earlier NH-1). To ease the traffic congestion in the city, a 10-km Panipat elevated express highway, which includes an elevated flyover, was constructed in 2008 during the regime of the Congress government. Even, after the construction of the elevated expressway, the city’s traffic problem could not be resolved. Long queues of vehicles, auto-rickshaws could be seen anytime near Sanjay Chowk, Red Light Chowk, Insaar Market Chowk and on Railway Road, Sanoli road, Gohana road and Assandh road turn in the city. However, the district administration usually tried to control the traffic chaos by launching special drives off and on but to no avail.The residents regularly demanded entry and exit points on the expressway for a long time. Even, the political leaders have also raised the issue with the authorities several times.

Now, the way to fulfill this much-awaited demands of the residents has been cleared as it is decided that openings will be made at three points on the elevated expressway very soon.It was decided in the meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Anurag Rastogi in Chandigarh on Thursday. MLA, Panipat (Urban), Pramod Vij, DC, Panipat, Sushil Kumar Sarwan, SP Shashank Kumar Sawan and the Project Director, NHAI, were present at the meeting.

DC Sarwan said the traffic congestion was not the only problem in the city, but pollution due to heavy smoke emission from vehicles which were stranded in the traffic jam, was also a big problem.

“To curb the problems of traffic congestion and pollution, we prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and discussed it at the meeting on Thursday. It has been finalised that entry and exit points will be made at three places on the elevated expressway. These being entry near Khadi Gramodyog and exit near Hanu sweets on Delhi-Karnal side while exit will be near the Malik

petrol pump on the Karnal-Delhi side,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

A grant of Rs 1.95 crore for making these openings has already been sanctioned, he said.